Italian soccer player Antonio Cassano was fined 15,000 euros by the Union of European Football Associations after saying he hoped there were no gay players on his team during the 2012 Euro Cup, Reuters reports.

When asked during a press conference whether there were two secretly gay players on the team, he answered, "That's their problem. I hope there isn't one in the national team."

Cassano issued an apology after gay groups criticized his comments.

"I am sincerely sorry that my comments have caused controversy and protests among gay groups," he said. "Homophobia is not a point of view that I share. I didn't want to offend anyone and I absolutely don't want to put a person's sexual freedom under discussion."